HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – MITRE Corporation's site in Huntsville was recently given an award less than 1 percent of cleared contractors receive.

MITRE won the 2014 James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Award, which is the Defense Security Service's highest- honor in the cleared U.S. defense industry.

Facilities must be nominated by an assigned industrial security representative, earn two consecutive superior industrial security review ratings and prove excellence and innovation in security program management, implementation and oversight.

After an external vetting process and national team review are completed, the director of DSS reviews final rankings for approval.

"MITRE is pleased to receive a third Cogswell Award for its commitment to protecting classified information through government and industry partnership," said Gary Gagnon, MITRE's senior vice president and chief security officer. "The Huntsville site has proven that it excels, innovates, and leads in the field of National Industrial Security."

MITRE's Huntsville site was founded in 1982 to support the Missile Defense Agency. Led by Russell King, the facility has a staff of 49 employees.